• Georgia ranked among the cheapest for students attending college in-state, with an average cost of $20,088 per year

• Vermont named as the most expensive state for students, at an average cost of $31,180 per year

• New Hampshire is the second most expensive at $30,398, while Connecticut placed third at $30,344 per year 

Vermont has the highest annual costs on average for students attending college in-state, a new study finds. 

Essay writing experts at Essayservice.com, analyzed the most recent data for tuition fees, additional required fees, and room and board for each state to calculate the average annual cost of public four-year university programs for in-state students starting in the 2022-2023 school year. These results were then ranked from highest to lowest to determine which states were the most expensive.  

Vermont came first in the study, with a total cost estimate of $31,180. It has the most expensive annual in-state tuition and required fees for a four-year public program out of all states in the list at $18,572. Room fees are estimated to be $8,427, which was the fifth most expensive state total in that category, while board fees were $4,811.  

New Hampshire ranked second, with a total cost estimate of $30,398. It has the second most expensive annual in-state tuition and required fees for a four-year public program out of all states at $17,863. This highly influenced its position on the list as the estimated room and board fees were only $7,711 and $4,824, respectively.   

Connecticut came third, with a total cost estimate of $30,344. It has the fourth most expensive annual in-state tuition and required fees for a four-year public program out of all states at $16,490. Whilst its room fees are estimated to be $7,606, it has the fifth most expensive estimated board fees on the list at $6,247.   

New Jersey came fourth, with a total cost estimate of $29,948. It has the fifth most expensive annual in-state tuition and required fees for a four-year public program out of all states at $16,176. However, it also has the fourth most expensive estimated room fees at $8,624. Board fees for New Jersey were estimated at $5,149.  

Massachusetts ranked fifth, with a total cost estimate of $29,689. Whilst the state only has a total cost of $15,140 for annual in-state tuition and required fees, it also has the third most expensive estimated room fees at $8,754. Board fees for Massachusetts were estimated at $5,795.  

Other states in the top ten include Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, and Virginia. 

Utah had the lowest average cost out of all states on the list at $16,238. It had a total cost of just $8,067 for annual in-state tuition and required fees. Utah also had the cheapest estimated room fees at $3,961 and the third cheapest board fees at $4,210. 

A spokesperson for Essayservice.com commented on the findings: 

“This study offers us some insight into how much students are estimated to be paying yearly for a four-year university program whilst living in-state. Whilst tuition fees have the largest impact on the total annual cost, having cheaper options for room and board can certainly make university and college more attractive to prospective students. 

“These total costs can similarly be reduced by taking available scholarships or financial aid into account, but many students will need to calculate whether they can cover these fees by themselves when considering their potential options for university programs. It will be interesting to see whether any of the ranked positions change in upcoming years and if these total costs are impacting the yearly enrollment numbers in each state.”  

Total annual cost for tuition fees, additional required fees, room and board for public in-state four-year university programs in each state